Manzanita Speedway
SWDRA lands sponsor, but loses Manzanita
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Manzanita hosted the Early Thaw Series in 2004. (Brian McLeod)
The Southwest DIRTcar Racing Association barely had time to enjoy the good news of a new sponsor before receiving the bad news of the loss of one of its best tracks.
The Arizona-based Dirt Late Model circuit announced Wednesday it landed lucrative sponsorship from Dairy Queen of Arizona, less than 24 hours before news began filtering out about the closing of historic Manzanita Speedway, the legendary Phoenix dirt oval where the SWDRA tour planned to run at least half of its 10-race schedule.
SWDRA marketing director Kyle Porter confirmed in a Thursday release by the series that Manzanita has been sold and the March 14 series event will be the last Dirt Late Model race at the 58-year-old speedplant. The 9-year-old series has run 11 events at the facility with third-mile and half-mile configurations with plans to run more races than ever at Manzanita in 2009. The final event at the track is scheduled for April 11.
"I couldn't really believe it," long-time SWDRA driver and car owner Mike Tahtinen said in a phone interview. "I've been going there a long time. I was talking to (veteran racer) Terry Belcher and he said, 'Man, I grew up there.' "
Manzanita, renowned among West's top dirt tracks and the home of sprint racing's Western World Championships, has also hosted big-purse Dirt Late Model events through the years, including Early Thaw Series events and last November's two-race Barnett Harley-Davidson Nationals, swept by Hall of Famer Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.
Porter and series director Carl Nemeth are hoping to replace the Manzanita dates. Besides Saturday's event, SWDRA was scheduled to run at the Phoenix track April 25, June 20, Aug. 15 and Aug. 29.
Tahtinen, who fielded cars in the SWDRA season opener for Terry Belcher Jr. and Mike Brigner, was busily preparing a third car for Saturday's race so he could race at Manzanita one more time. "There's nothing you can do. If the guy sold the track, the guy sold the track," he said. "All we can do is go have fun this last time."
While landing Dairy Queen as a sponsor can cushion the loss of Manzanita, the loss of Phoenix-area races could reduce "the monetary value of our partnership," Porter said in a series newsletter. "We are currently working with (Dairy Queen) on this very subject," he added.
Dairy Queen of Arizona, with 70 restaurants throughout the state, was announced Wednesday as the presenting sponsor of the series. The sponsorship was scheduled to more than double the series points fund from 2008, with specific points fund amounts to be announced after further sponsorship is completed.
Dairy Queen also signed on to sponsor the "DQ Ice Cold Draw Award" (given to the driver starting worst in heat races) and the "DQ Fast Nine Redraw" (for the draw that lines up the first nine cars in the feature lineup).
"We are very excited to partner with Dairy Queen of Arizona," Porter said. "The DQ brand has always been synonymous with supporting their local neighborhoods and, as a statewide touring series, we look forward to bringing support to our neighborhood DQs."
In return for the sponsorship, SWDRA plans to have drivers occasionally display their race cars at Dairy Queen restaurants.
